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2004
With the deal agreed to, [[Major League Baseball]] granted the Red Sox a 72-hour window to negotiate a contract extension with Schilling. Team executives [[Theo Epstein]] and [[Jed Hoyer]] flew to Schilling's Arizona home to talk with the pitcher, who acted as his own agent.<ref name="feeding2"/> They alleviated his concerns about pitching at [[Fenway Park]] by showing him a statistical analysis that showed that a pitcher like Schilling could be successful at the park. The two executives, along with Larry Lucchino, pitched him on the benefits of playing in Boston. Schilling: "The preparation they did in getting ready was big for me."<ref name="feeding2"/> When discussions went long, Schilling offered to have Hoyer and Epstein spend Thanksgiving with his family. Following Thanksgiving dinner, the two sides continued negotiations. While they were able to agree on the term, two years plus an option, they were still far apart on a salary. During breaks in the talks, Schilling spent time chatting with Red Sox fans on a team internet message board<ref name="feeding2"/> With the 72-hour window nearing a close, they reached a compromise where Schilling would receive a bonus, and have the option year guaranteed, if he took the team to a World Series win.<ref>http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=1683054</ref>
With the deal agreed to, [[Major League Baseball]] granted the Red Sox a 72-hour window to negotiate a contract extension with Schilling. Team executives [[Theo Epstein]] and [[Jed Hoyer]] flew to Schilling's Arizona home to talk with the pitcher, who acted as his own agent.<ref name="feeding2"/> They alleviated his concerns about pitching at [[Fenway Park]] by showing him a statistical analysis that showed that a pitcher like Schilling could be successful at the park. The two executives, along with Larry Lucchino, pitched him on the benefits of playing in Boston. Schilling: "The preparation they did in getting ready was big for me."<ref name="feeding2"/> When discussions went long, Schilling offered to have Hoyer and Epstein spend Thanksgiving with his family. Following Thanksgiving dinner, the two sides continued negotiations. While they were able to agree on the term, two years plus an option, they were still far apart on a salary. During breaks in the talks, Schilling spent time chatting with Red Sox fans on a team internet message board<ref name="feeding2"/> With the 72-hour window nearing a close, they reached a compromise where Schilling would receive a bonus, and have the option year guaranteed, if he took the team to a World Series win.<ref>http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=1683054</ref>
Schilling won 21 games in his first season in Boston. He finished second in the Cy Young voting behind Minnesota's Johan Santana. The Red Sox won the Wild Card and drew the Angels in the ALDS. Schilling pitched into the seventh in Game one before leaving due to an ankle injury. Boston would win that game and the next two to clinch a sweep and face the Yankees in the ALCS. The injured ankle affected Schilling in Game one of the ALCS as he allowed six runs in only three innings before being pulled. With the Sox winning Games 4 and 5 to cut the series deficit to 3-2, Schilling started Game Six after an experimental surgery performed by team doctor Bill Morgan. He held the Yankees to one run in seven innings as team Boston evened the series at three. During the game, blood became visible through the sock of the injured ankle, which led it to be referred to as the "bloody sock game".<ref>http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2849980</ref> The sock would later be put in the Baseball Hall of Fame. They would go on to beat team New York in Game Seven by a 10-3 score to advance to the World Series. He was able to start Game Two of the World Series against the Colorado Rockies, going six shutout innings. The Red Sox would finish off the sweep three days later to clinch their first title since 1918.
==References==
==References==